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"I'm
taking my rats. Those are my friends for the tour. Thelma and Louise. They're so cute." Pink
PLEASE NOTE: Rats are legal pets in most places but are illegal in Billings, MT
and Alberta, Canada.
ACTIVITY LEVEL: Rats are nocturnal and sleep most of the day but can adjust to their human family’s
schedules. They need a minimum of several hours out of cage time daily for play
and bonding time with their human.
Rats are both a prey and PREDATOR species. They should be kept away from other
household pets.
SOCIAL
PATTERNS: Rats are intelligent, entertaining, and easily tamed. They are responsive,
friendly, and affectionate to their human caretakers. They will bond with their
human as extensively as a dog or cat will. When familiar with their caretaker
they will approach them with enthusiasm and speed. Sensitive and resourceful
they require lots of attention and affection that has earned them a reputation as a high maintenance companion. They enjoy being petted and if they don’t get sufficient attention and affection they can become sulky
and withdrawn. Fully socialized rats accept humans as members of the family. Pet rats rarely run away.
In the wild, rats live in
large colonies and are extremely social. They tend to live in harmony except for the occasions when two or more male rats
indulge in serious brawling. Since they thrive on social interaction, maintaining
social bonds and express affection by mutual grooming, it is best to get two rats together.
A neutered male and spayed female pair, same sex pairs, litter mates,
or rats who have properly been introduced to each other will get along.
Rats communicate through
scent, sound, touch, and visual signals. They squeak when annoyed or defensive,
screech when they are hurt or terrified, and grind their teeth when agitated, frustrated, or content. They are territorial and use body language to stake their claim, express submission and aggression. Rats rarely bite unless they feel threatened.
They are good pets for children over the age of eight who have been taught how to handle them gently.
NORMAL PHYSIOLOGICAL
& BEHAVIORAL CHARACTERISTICS: Rats domesticated as pets are the domestic brown or Norway rats. The body length of the adult rat is 7-10 inches long not including the tail. They are prolific breeders
and can be fertile at 2-4 months but as young as 5 weeks of age. They have a gestation period of 21-28 days and have an average
liter size of 8 to 16 babies. They are fertile all year long. Rats
have a keen since of smell and hearing but poor eyesight. They are excellent
climbers. They can recognize their names, enjoy mazes, and perform tricks.
Rats are omnivores.
Although they will eat almost anything their diets should be kept low fat and low calorie because rats have a tendency toward
obesity. A healthy diet should be a combination of seed mix, compressed
pellets, nuts, bread, cabbage, apples, and raisins. Never feed rats citrus fruits,
chocolate, cookies, or potato chips. Rats must eat continually so their food
bowls must always be kept full, 24-7. Use ceramic bowls because rats will gnaw
on plastic ones.
Despite their reputation
to the contrary rats are clean animals. They are competent self groomers and
deposit their waste in one area of their living space. They can be litter box trained. They
rarely generate objectionable smells. Males will spray urine during mating season
and to mark territory. Rats can be given the run of the house if the house has
been rat-proofed and the rat has been litter box trained and to come when called. Make
sure the rat has plenty of chew toys to avoid the destruction of furniture and other household items. Toys designed for birds and ferrets work best for rats as other rodent toys tend to be two small.
SPAY/NEUTER
INFO: It is recommended
to spay or neuter your rat for health reasons. Altered rats will live 25% longer
than unaltered rats. Testicular cancer in males and mammary and pituitary tumors
in females can be avoided by spaying and neutering. Rats can be neutered at any age but ideally males can be neutered between 3-4 months and females 3-6
months of age. Neutering in males decreases territorial marking with urine and
aggression.
MOST
COMMON PROBLEMS: Rats
are susceptible to flea and mites. They are also vulnerable to opportunistic respiratory infections, especially Mycoplasmosis,
their most common health problem. Without sufficient interaction with their human
caretaker, they develop psychological problems.
VET
CARE: Rats need to be seen by a
veterinarian specializing in exotics. Besides being seen for initial and subsequent routine annual examinations, they
should be seen as needed for medical problems that crop up between scheduled appointments.
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